Street traffic signal



P 1932- R. E. HUFFSCHMiD' I'. 1,879,263

STREET TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed March 17, 1950 7 INVENTOR 770% E. f/ojfscfirm'af ATTOR Patented Sept 27, l -932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE ROBERT E. HUFI'SGHIIDT, OF PORTLAND, O BEGON, ASSIGNOR TO K. E. ERICKSON, O

PORTLAND, OREGON srannr mm SIGNAL My invention is intended for use for placement at street intersections, street crossings, reverse curves on highways, and in any and all places where it is intended to indicate to 5 approaching night traflic,'the location of the traific' signal. The location of the trafiic signal is indicated through reflected light rays from the head lights of the approaching vehicle. i The invention consists primarily of a body element, a reflector 'adjustably mounted, in the body element and a .lens hermetically sealed and removably placed within the body element. Means are provided for the fasten- 5 ing of the body element to the roadway and the body element is so made as to present a amount of resistance to motor vehicle tires-passing thereover.

' Heretofore, devices of this kind have been so arranged that the lens was easily broken by pneumatic or solid rubber tires passing thereover. The breakage was primarily caused by the close proximity of the lens to the front wall of the body element.

In'my new and improved device, the lens is placed sufliciently rearwardly of the front wall to prevent the surface of the tlre from being compressed into contact with the lens itself. One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a reflecting surface that is adjustably positioned within the body element so that the light rays may be reflected upon the lens to illuminate the same irrespective of the grade of the roadway upon which the body element is to be placed.

A further object of my invention conslsts in providing an indicator light having a lens removably disposed therein in order that the reflector may be adjusted, altered or recon- 40 ditioned without the destroying of any portion of the device itself.

A further object of my invention resides in a construction of minimum first cost and of relatively long life that will ofier a minimum of resistance to vehicle tires passing thereover. I.

A further object of my invention consists in providing a device of a one-piece body element having areflecting surface adjustably positioned and hermetically sealed therein -more in' detail, the position and adjusting and having one or more lenses disposed rear- 'wardly of the front sloping wall of the body element. The lenses are removably secured within the body element. 1

With these and incidental. objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in the appended claims, and a preferred form of embodiment of which is hereinafter shown with reference to the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specification.

In the-drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the assembled device having two lenses removably disposed within the body element rearwardly of the front wall of the same.

Fig. 2 is a top, plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. '3 is a side view of the mechanism illustrated in Figs. 1 and-2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional, side view of the assembled device, the same being taken on line 44. of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated. q A

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional, side view of the assembled device, the same being made on a somewhat larger scale to illustrate,

features for the reflector, the lens in position, the means forsealingthe same therein and the means for. maintaining the lens and the reflector fixedly positioned within the bod element. I

ig. 6 is a fragmentary, partially sectioni l, front view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional, side View of the lens and the fastening means therefor,the same being taken on line 7 -7 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction indicated.

Fig. 8 is a front view of an assembled device of a single lens disposed centrally of the front wall of the body element.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views. 7 I preferably form my device of a one-piece body element 1. The body element has a rearwardly sloping front wall 2-, sloping side 100 walls 3 and 4 and a sloping rear wall The body element has a substantially flat base 6 for resting upon the street or roadway surface. Each of the sloping walls of the body element should be suflicient to offer a minimum resistance to the vehicletires that are at times forced thereover. A recess 7 is formed within the front wall and one or more seats are disposed within the recess for the retention of the lenses therein. The seat for the lens to be placed within the body ele- I 9 therein. I preferably form this reflecting surface of a highly polished non-corrosive metal and adjustably position the samewithin the barrel by an adjusting screw 10 that is in threaded relationship with the rear wall 11 of the barrel and of the body element. spring 12 is disposed about the screw 10 to normally maintain the reflector 9 in precise position relative to the lens and to the head of the adjusting screw 10. A seat 13 is disposed. at the forward end of the barrel 8 and outwardly extends therefrom for a suflicient distance to support a packing seal 14 there- 1 upon and a lens 15 is disposed upon the packing seal 14. The packing seal 14 is preferably made of plastic material, as litharge or any other suitable gasket cement or other substance or compound, that may be placed within the seat of the body element and upon which the lens is seated and which will harden thereafter, thus hermetically sealing the reflector 9 within the barrel 8. A recess 16 is formed wihin the body element for a portion of the circumference and preferably at the top thereof, as illustrated at 17 in Fig. 6'and in Fig. 1. A sealing ring segment 18Ais'made to engage upon the outer-rim 19 of the lens and to engage the inner surface 18 of the projecting ledge with the ends 20 and 21 of the ring spaced apart. The ring segment is made tapering or wedge shape on its outer surface in order that the same may be madeto forcibly engage the lens when driven or wedged within and between the projecting ledge 17 and the rim 19 of the lens.

After the ring segment has been driven home,

- the lower portion of the ring segment may then be forced into place and in intimate contact with the rim 19 of the lens by any suitable" fastening means as by a screw 22 that is .threaded into the base of the body element. The head of the screw contacts with the sloping surface 23 of the ring segment thereby maintaining the same in intimate engagement with the rim of the lens. Fastening holes 24 are disposed through the base of the body element through which any suitable fastening means as bolts or studs may be made to pass and to extend therethrough into the surface of the roadway for fixedly positioning the device in place and position.

While the form. of mechanism. herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein shown and described, as it is susceptible of "embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a one piece body element having sloping front, side and rear walls, one or more barrels disposed within the body element and extending rearwardly from the frontwall, a metallic reflector adjustably positioned at the inner end of the barrel, a

seat formed within the body element and about the barrel, a lens removably sealed relative to the seat and secured thereto by a sealing ring segment having a sloping front wall, said ring segment engaging a ledge formed integrally with the body element and adapted to exert a compression between the lens and the ledge when driven therebetween and a threaded element threaded into the body element and having a head adapted for engagement with the ring segment and i when threaded home for exerting acompression upon the ring segment to force the same against the lens and means for fastening the body element relative to the supporting pavement.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination ofa one piece body element, a barrel disposed within the body element and rearwardly extending from the front face of the body element, a metallic reflector disposed within the/barrel, means for adjusting the reflector longitudinally of the barrel and for maintaining the reflector fixedly positioned, an annular recess disposed about the barrel, a lens fitted to the recess and disposed rearwardly from the face sufiiciently to prevent breakage from the resilient tires passing over the body element, a ring adapted to be disposed within a ledge .formed within the body element means for hermetically sealin g the lens relative to the body element consisting of a segment and a ledge disposed in spaced relation with the lens so that as the ring is placed within the space disposed between the lens and the ledge and driven therebetween the lens will be compressed uponla compressible gasket disposed between the lens and the body element, and a screw enses adapted for threaded engagement with the body element and for fastening a part of the ring segment relative to the body element.

3. in a device of the class described, the combination of a body element having a plurality of barrels made integral therewith and extending rearwardly from the front of the body element, a reflector disposed Within each of the barrels, means for adjusting the reflectors relative to the barrels, means for maintaining the reflectors in fixed position, a recess disposed at the front of each of the barrels, a lens disposed Within each of said recesses, means for hermetically seaiing the lens relative to eachor" the barrels, and means for fastenhi the body element relative to the supporting pavement.

In a device of the class described, the combination or" a body having a barrel formed therein, said herrei extending rearwardly from the front of the body element, a refieotor disposed in the rear of said barrel, means for adjusting the reflector in the hareand means for maintaining the reflector in fixed position, n recess disposed at the front of the barrel and a lens mounted Within such recess, means for hermetically sealing the lens in said barrel, and means -.tor fas- "ening the body element relative to the supporting pavement.

ROBERT E HUFFSCHMIDT. 

